Scooters on city streets, electric or otherwise, have become both a blessing and bane depending on whether you are using one for commuting, or find yourself in the way of someone riding upon one of the two-wheeled wonders.

And thanks to a big, new investment in electric scooter-rental company Lime, you might soon be dodging more of the machines as they’re whizzing around your local downtown.

GV partner Joe Kraus will join Lime’s board of directors. In addition to GV and Uber, Lime’s new funding round includes investments from Alphabet, IVP, Atomico and Fidelity Management, as well as original Lime backers Andreessen Horowitz, Coatue, Fifth Wall and GIC Singapore Sovereign Wealth Fund.

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As part of its investment, Uber will allow individuals to secure rentals of Lime’s electric scooters, as well as electric bicycles and traditional pedal bikes, from within Uber’s smartphone app. Uber will also be putting its logo upon Lime scooters as part of a co-branding partnership with Lime.

The funding illustrates how quickly the industry for alternative-transportation vehicles has grown. Lime was founded just 18 months ago, and the company says its rentals are now available in 70 markets in the United States and Europe. Lime says that to date, its scooters and bikes have provided more than six million rides in its markets.

For its part, Uber has made no secret of its desire to expand beyond its traditional car-sharing service. The company bought electric bike-sharing company Jump Bikes, for $100 million back in April. It also has applied for a permit to begin offering an electric scooter service in its home city of San Francisco.

Rex Crum is the senior web editor for the business section for The Mercury News and Bay Area News Group. He also writes about business and technology for the publications' print and web editions, and has covered business and technology for nearly two decades. A native of Seattle, he remains a diehard Seahawks and Mariners fan and is imparting his fandom to his Oakland-native wife and two young daughters.